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Leeds United head into the second international break of the 2024/25 campaign with only one defeat in nine matches in the Championship so far.

Despite their impressive record, there may be some disappointment in the fact that they have only won two of their last five outings in the division.

After their 1-0 loss to Burnley at Elland Road, Daniel Farke’s side secured successive victories over Cardiff and Coventry, scoring five goals without reply in those games.

However, they have failed to win their last two matches in the Championship. They battled from 1-0 down to draw 1-1 with Norwich City at Carrow Road before they conceded in the 97th minute to draw 2-2 with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in their most recent game.

Leeds head into the break off the back of that late blow on Wearside, which cost them two points, and will have to stew over that for the next two weeks.

Illan Meslier, who allowed the ball to bounce and watched it spin back into his net, will have to move on from that error quickly and train hard to ensure that there are no more major mistakes in the games to come.

Illan Meslier's Championship form for Leeds

The Frenchman has not found the Championship an easy place to perform since the Whites were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Farke arrived at Elland Road in the summer of 2023 and has ensured that his Leeds team have been dominant and defensively sound at this level over the past 14 months, for the most part.

They have the second-best xGA per 90 (0.95) in the second tier so far this season, and had the best xGA per 90 (1.01) in the league during the 2023/24 term.

This means that Meslier has been the most well protected goalkeeper in the Championship since the start of last term, as his defence has not allowed many high-quality chances for opposition players to fire at his goal.

Despite that, the 24-year-old dud has still managed to underperform as a shot-stopper and has been a liability at times for Farke with his weak goalkeeping.

Last term, the left-footed giant let in 4.49 more goals than expected, based on the xG of the shots against him, and made two errors that directly led to shots or goals for the opposition in his 44 matches during the regular season.

Meslier’s shot-stopping does not appear to have improved during the off-season as the French flop has already let in 1.47 more than expected in nine matches in the current campaign.

He has also already matched his tally for errors that directly led to a goal (one) from last season, with his huge mistake for the late equaliser at the Stadium of Light.

Leeds are vying to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking and will not want their goalkeeper’s errors and underperformance as a shot-stopper to prevent them from doing so, which is why they could dip into the market in January to revisit one of their former targets.

Leeds once wanted Championship colossus

In the summer of 2023, after the club moved to appoint Farke as the new head coach, the West Yorkshire outfit were reportedly interested in signing Norwich City star Angus Gunn to compete for a place between the sticks.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealed, on The Square Ball podcast, during that summer transfer window that the Whites had drawn up a shortlist of goalkeeping options to challenge Meslier for his starting place, and named the Scotland international as one of their targets.

Karl Darlow was also mentioned as a player the club appreciated and the Newcastle United outcast ended up being the one to come in on a permanent deal, but he has failed to dislodge the Frenchman so far.

That was not the first time that Leeds had been interested in Gunn. It was reported that Marcelo Bielsa wanted to bring him to Elland Road from Southampton in the summer of 2021, but Farke – managing Norwich at the time – beat the Argentine boss to his services for a fee of £5m.

The German head coach must now revisit his interest from 2023 and sign the Scottish colossus for the third time in his career, having snapped him up on loan from Manchester City in 2017 and on a permanent deal from the Saints in 2021, in order to finally ditch Meslier.

Why Leeds should sign Angus Gunn

Firstly, the 28-year-old star is out of contract at the end of the season and this means that he could be available in January if the Canaries are unable to pin him down to an extension, as he would be free to leave for nothing at the end of the season if they do not cash in then.

Gunn, who was hailed as “exceptional” for Scotland by Joe Hart earlier this year, is a proven Championship performer who has been in terrific form for the Canaries at that level over the past two-and-a-bit seasons between the sticks.

This season, the Scottish ace has saved 71% of the shots against his goal and made 0.9 successful run-outs per match, to earn a Sofascore rating of 6.94.

23/24 Championship

Illan Meslier

Angus Gunn

Appearances

44

40

Save success rate

68%

69%

Successful run-outs per game

0.4

0.7

Goals prevented

-4.49

+4.55

Error led to shot/goal

2

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Gunn significantly outperformed Meslier in the 2023/24 Championship campaign with his superb performances for Norwich.

Their respective statistics suggest that Leeds would have conceded around nine fewer goals than they did with the Scottish ace in goal, as he prevented 4.55 goals for the Canaries with his shot-stopping, whilst Meslier let in 4.49 more than expected.

Gunn is also more proactive in coming off his line to sweep up behind his defence, as shown by his 0.3 more successful run-outs last term, and that could help to alleviate some pressure off the likes of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon when balls go down the channels and in behind.

Related Archie Gray thinks he's "really good": Leeds teen could solve Gruev blow

The Whites head coach must unleash the talented youngster from the academy.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Oct 6, 2024

Therefore, Farke must swoop to sign the Norwich star, who also saved 72% of shots against him in the 2022/23 season, in January to finally ditch Meslier from the starting XI.

تعرف فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي على منافسه في دور الـ 16 ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025، واتضحت ملامح مشواره خلال المنافسة.

وأجرى الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” قرعة دور الـ 16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، اليوم الجمعة.

كما أجرى يويفا قرعة دور الـ 8 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، وكذلك قرعة دور نصف النهائي.

ليفربول توج بآخر لقب في دوري أبطال أوروبا عام 2019 وذلك على حساب توتنهام الإنجليزي.

اقرأ أيضًا | نتائج قرعة دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025.. مواجهتان قويتان لـ ليفربول وريال مدريد مشوار ليفربول إلى نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025

سيخوض ليفربول بقيادة نجمه المصري محمد صلاح، مباراة دور الـ 16 أمام باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي.

وستكون مباراة الذهاب في ملعب حديقة الأمراء معقل باريس سان جيرمان، ومباراة الإياب في ملعب آنفيلد معقل ليفربول.

وحال التأهل يلتقي ليفربول في دور الـ 8 مع الفائز من مباراة أستون فيلا وكلوب بروج.

وستقام مباراة الذهاب في ملعب آنفيلد، على أن تكون مباراة الإياب في ملعب كلوب بروج أو أستون فيلا.

وإذا تمكن ليفربول من التأهل من ربع النهائي سيلتقي في نصف النهائي مع المتأهل من المباراة التي ستجمع بين الفائز من لقاء آرسنال وآيندهوفن، ريال مدريد وأتلتيكو مدريد.

Celtic were busy on the deadline day of the summer transfer window last week with three new additions walking through the doors at Parkhead.

Brendan Rodgers moved to bolster his playing squad with the signings of Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, and Luke McCowan, from Augsburg, Sheffield United, and Dundee respectively.

The Northern Irish head coach signed two fresh central midfield options after attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Celtic raked in a club and Scottish transfer record fee of more than £25m for the Denmark international, who caught the eye with his performances last season.

Sofascore rating

7.91

1st

Goals

18

1st

Assists

13

1st

Big chances created

14

1st

Key passes per game

2.5

1st

As you can see in the table above, the former MK Dons man was instrumental in the team's attacking set-up during the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.

The Hoops lost a hugely talented player, who could contribute a great deal at the top end of the pitch, and that is why they swooped to sign Engels and McCowan, the former of whom has been signed for a significant sum of money.

How much Celtic paid for Arne Engels

The Scottish giants smashed their club record transfer fee with a swoop to sign the Austrian central midfielder from Augsburg for a reported fee of £11m.

Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £9m in the summer of 2018 was the previous record, which means that Celtic have comfortably made Engels the most expensive signing in the team's history.

The 20-year-old starlet, who made his debut for Belgium against Israel this week, came off the bench in the 3-0 win over Rangers at Parkhead last time out for his Hoops bow, less than 48 hours after his move was made official.

Engels arrives in Glasgow with plenty of senior football under his belt after featuring in the Bundesliga in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

In the 2022/23 season, the central midfielder showcased his creativity with four 'big chances' created and 1.3 key passes per game in 18 starts in the German top-flight.

The talented youngster could not break into the starting XI on a regular basis last season, however, but did contribute with moments in the final third.

Appearances

32

Starts

13

Goals

3

Assists

2

Ground duel success rate

52%

As you can see in the table above, Engels was directly involved in five goals in 13 starts in the Bundesliga, more than one every three starts on average, and held his own in physical duels on the deck.

Of course, it is now up to him to develop and adapt to Scottish football to emerge as a regular starter and justify his huge price at Parkhead under Rodgers.

One former Celtic midfielder, who went on to be worth more than what was just paid for Engels, the club struck gold with was colossus Victor Wanyama.

How much Celtic paid for Victor Wanyama

In the summer of 2011, Neil Lennon swooped to sign the young talent from Belgian outfit Beerschot AC for a reported fee of £900k to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

At the age of 20, the same age that Engels is now, Celtic snapped up a prospect who they wanted to develop and improve, whilst still getting quality performances on the pitch in the short term.

Wanyama already had 54 appearances for Beerschot under his belt, prior to his transfer to Scotland, and had contributed with two goals and one assist.

The Kenya international hit the ground running in Glasgow and immediately became an important player for Lennon, with 42 appearances in all competitions – including five starts in the Europa League.

In 22 outings as a defensive midfielder, the young enforcer caught the eye with four goals and four assists, which showed that he could push forward to join in with attacks to go along with his natural defensive instincts at the base of the midfield.

Premiership

32

6

3

SFA Cup

5

1

1

Champions League

7

1

0

League Cup

2

0

0

Champions League qualifiers

3

1

0

As you can see in the table above, Wanyama continued to prove his worth to Celtic in his second season with the Scottish giants, with nine goals and four assists in all competitions.

His displays were impressive enough for Lennon, his manager at Parkhead, to describe him as a "world class" player, which speaks to the level of his performances.

How much Celtic sold Victor Wanyama for

After winning two Premiership titles and securing a Scottish Cup trophy in two campaigns with the Hoops, the Kenyan star attracted interest from Premier League side Southampton.

The Saints swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £12.5m in the summer of 2013, which was a Scottish record transfer fee at the time and showed that they hit gold with the superb gem.

That piece of business represented a masterclass from the Scottish giants, as Celtic raked in £12.5m for a player they paid £900k for just two years prior.

That fee was £2.5m more than the club have just paid for Engels to snap him up from Augsburg and, hopefully, Rodgers will end up looking back on that deal in the same way that Lennon does with Wanyama now.

It is now up to the Belgian youngster to, first, break into the midfield ahead of the likes of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, and Paulo Bernardo, and then shine in a Celtic shirt.

Wanyama hit the ground running and was an important player for the Hoops in both of his seasons with the club, but that does not mean that Engels has to go down the same path.

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The Hoops hit the jackpot with the signing of this impressive centre-forward.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 7, 2024

At the age of 20, there is plenty of time left for the central midfielder to grow and develop over the years to come, as a long-term project for Rodgers, and that means that there is no rush for him to make an immediate and big impact in the first-team, despite the transfer fee.

Devdutt Padikkal, the Royal Challengers Bangalore opener, is in quarantine at his home in Bengaluru after testing positive for Covid-19 on March 22.Padikkal, 20, is “feeling well” and will “join the RCB bio-bubble once his RT-PCR tests are negative,” the franchise said in a statement. “The RCB medical team is in touch with Devdutt ensuring his safety and well-being.” The rest of the squad is in the biosecure bubble in Chennai.The news means Padikkal is all but set to miss the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first game of IPL 2021, the tournament opener against the Mumbai Indians in Chennai on April 9. The Royal Challengers’ second match is on April 14, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.Padikkal was the leading run-scorer for the Royal Challengers in IPL 2020, his debut season, scoring 473 runs at an average of 31.53 and a strike rate of 124.80. Coming into this season, he had a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy too, where he tallied 218 runs in six innings at an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 134.56.Padikkal’s is the third case of an IPL player testing positive come to light. Apart from Padikkal, the Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel and the Kolkata Knight Riders’ Nitish Rana too have tested positive for Covid-19.Patel had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on March 28 after arriving with a negative Covid-19 report, but returned a positive test after that. Rana, meanwhile, has tested negative and joined the team training sessions after an extended 12-day quarantine, also in Mumbai.

A draw would not be a bad result in the grand scheme of things, but the Reds cannot pass up the chance to heap more misery on Pep Guardiola

Arne Slot is not messing about. With a massive Premier League game to come against Manchester City on Sunday, the Liverpool boss would have been forgiven for resting some star players for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Real Madrid. But he resisted that temptation.

Slot, though, saw an opportunity to not only maintain the momentum his side have built up over the past few months, but also heap more misery on a team responsible for some of Liverpool's most devastating defeats in recent years – and he took it.

There was simply no let up from the relentless Reds. In fact, they only increased their intensity after a goalless first half. At a time when Slot could have been considering making some changes with one eye on the City showdown, the Dutchman sent his side back out for the second half with even more aggression in their game.

The net result was a stirring 2-0 victory over the reigning European champions that has dealt a serious blow to their hopes of a top-eight finish in this season's league phase. Indeed, as it stands, Madrid are 24th and occupying the final play-off berth ahead of an intimidating trip to Bergamo to face Atalanta.

Of course, that's of little relevance to Liverpool. The only thing that matters to the club and its followers right now is Slot's Reds showcasing the same ruthless streak against City on Sunday by delivering an even bigger blow, a potentially fatal one in fact, to their other great rivals…

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  No side-effects

  Having won 16 of their 18 games under Slot, Liverpool could have hardly been in better shape going into Wednesday's clash at Anfield. Certain figures in the media were concerned by the effect that Mohamed Salah's contract bombshell might have on the players going into two massive matches – but the misguided Jamie Carragher-led criticism of the Egyptian was actually a source of amusement for the players rather than a distraction.

  "Carragher's been getting a bit of stick in the changing room, that's for sure!" left-back Andy Robertson revealed on after Madrid had been swept aside with the kind of stirring second-half showing that is becoming synonymous with Slot.

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  Egyptian King is key

  Of course, Salah squandered a spot-kick during the game, but it was a penalty he had won himself by embarrassing Ferland Mendy with his Lionel Messi-esque footwork, and his overall performance was exemplary.

  Salah may have been accused of selfishness by Carragher, but he worked tirelessly for his team all evening, and even picked poor Kylian Mbappe's pocket at one point. The two superstars had something in common in the sense that both missed a penalty on the evening in question but, in terms of effort and efficacy, Salah was operating on a whole other plane to the suddenly fragile Frenchman.

  So, there's zero reason to worry about Salah's form being in any way affected by the fact that his contract is up at the end of the season – particularly when one considers that Liverpool's Egyptian King often saves his very best performances – and goals – for games against City.

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  Doubts over Darwin

  Still, while there are no doubts over Salah's starter status, the same cannot be said for Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan led the line well against Madrid and annoyed the hell out of Antonio Rudiger & Co. with his movement, pressing and (often embarrassing) histrionics. Slot may well ask him to produce a repeat performance against City.

  However, there is a strong case to be made for rewarding Cody Gakpo for another impactful introduction off the bench with a starting spot on Sunday. The Dutchman has been in and out of the team this season, and is playing more in his preferred role on the left wing, and yet he's still scored seven goals – four more than Nunez.

  There's a chance, then, that Slot will consider moving Luis Diaz into the middle to accommodate Gakpo out wide – as the Dutchman did to devastating effect against Bayer Leverkusen, when the Colombian winger hit a hat-trick in a 4-0 win.

  At this particular point in the time, the rest of the team picks itself – unless injuries intervene.

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  Sweating on Konate

  There was always a chance that Slot fielding his strongest side against Madrid might end up costing Liverpool against City. After all, it was always going to be a high-quality encounter, and thus physically demanding. Only on Sunday will we really know how much overwhelming the champions of Europe took out of the Reds.

  We're also still in the dark over the fitness of both Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley. The former finished the game on Wednesday, but was in real discomfort as he hobbled off after the full-time whistle after seemingly jarring his knee in a collision with Madrid substitute Endrick.

  There have been mixed reports over the Frenchman's current condition, but Slot unquestionably needs Konate at 100 per cent, given he's played with an uncharacteristic level of consistency since coming on at half-time in the season-opening win at Ipswich, and his partnership with Virgil van Dijk is one of the key factors in Liverpool's fantastic form.

  If Konate is not deemed fit to start against City, Jarell Quansah or Joe Gomez could come into the centre of defence – but neither man boasts anything like the same level of physicality, which will be vital when it comes to containing Erling Haaland.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Marcão classificou como “injusto” o tropeço do Fluminense ficar no 0 a 0 com o Atlético-GO neste sábado (9), no Maracanã. Em entrevista coletiva neste sábado, o comandante tricolor exaltou a maneira como a equipe se lançou à frente em busca do triunfo.

Paredão tricolor! Goleiro do Fluminense faz defesa incrível e evita gol do Atlético-GO #FLUxAGO #Brasileirao #Lancenet

Assista aos melhores momentos no link: https://t.co/HzXal8VTm5 pic.twitter.com/6loaaP4iCx

— LANCE! (de 🏠) (@lancenet) October 9, 2021

-Queríamos os três pontos, criamos nos dois tempos. A bola não entrou e precisamos trabalhar ainda mais. Acho que o resultado foi muito injusto, fizemos um bom jogo. Lamentamos o resultado, mas fizemos de tudo, foi um bom desempenho e tivemos várias situações. Infelizmente, não conseguimos converter em gols – e, em seguida, falou sobre os tricolores terem conquistado apenas um ponto em dois jogos:

-Temos uma sequência ruim, mas precisamos pensar jogo a jogo. Temos certeza que estamos no caminho mais próximo da vitória do que da adversidade – complementou.

O técnico destacou a maneira como a equipe aumentou sua intensidade na etapa final.

-A gente tentou surpreender o Atlético, fizemos um segundo tempo muito forte. O que a gente imaginou para a partida, conseguimos fazer. Uma pena que o gol não saiu, porque iria premiar uma boa atuação desses meninos – disse.

Marcão também opinou sobre as vaias que Danilo Barcelos sofreu.

-O Danilo vem sofrendo essa pressão, mas acho que o torcedor também entendeu que ele produziu bem, dá para ver pelos números dele. É um cara de bom vestiário, forte dentro do grupo – disse.

O Fluminense, com 33 pontos, volta a campo na próxima quarta-feira (13), contra o Corinthians, na Neo Química Arena.

Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi is set to play wearing a unique head protector just days after picking up a nasty facial injury that required stitches.

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• Cubarsi subbed off against Crvena Zvezda
• Centre-back has been a star player this season
• Protective mask allows him to return.

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  During Barcelona's Champions League victory over Crvena Zvezda, Cubarsi was forced off the pitch in the 67th minutes after a high challenge left him with deep cuts on the right side of his face, which required 10 stitches.

  The nature of the injuries suggested that Cubarsi could be out for a while, with no usual face coverings providing the necessary protection for his unique injuries. However, the young Spaniard was seen wearing a customised head protector in training, indicating that he could well play a part in Barcelona's Sunday showdown with Real Sociedad.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After becoming an established member of the Barcelona first team last season aged just 16, Cubarsi has developed hugely as a defender this campaign, and has become one of their standout players in their domination of La Liga thus far.

  Surprisingly physical for a player so young, and with a mean streak hidden by his youthful features, European football hasn't seen a young defender like Cubarsi in quite some time.

  So the customised face protector provides a much-needed boost for Barcelona, who are already suffering something of an injury crisis in defence, with Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo both missing.

  Fans are already likening the La Masia product's new look to that of Gambito from the recently released Deadpool & Wolverine movie, and if the defender can embody the physicality of his Hollywood counterpart, Barcelona should breeze through the game.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Cubarsi is the youngest player to ever debut in the Champions League knockout stages, as he took to the pitch for Barcelona's last-16 clash with Napoli in 2023-24 aged just 17 years and 50 days.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CUBARSI AND BARCELONA?

  While it is unclear whether Cubarsi will play from the start of be given a run out as a substitute against Real Sociedad, his importance dictates that he will almost certainly receive some form of game time. La Real, sitting 11th in the league standings, shouldn't pose any significant threat to Barcelona, who are nine points clear at the top of La Liga.

Interim Manchester United boss Ruud van Nistelrooy says Erik ten Hag "loved the club", while revealing how the Dutchman took his sacking.

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• Ten Hag sacked by Manchester United
• Van Nistelrooy says ex-boss "loved" the club
• Reveals how Dutchman felt after dismissal

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 54-year-old's two-and-a-half year spell at Old Trafford came to an end on Monday when CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth informed him that his time was up. Van Nistelrooy is currently in charge while the Red Devils try and appoint Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim as Ten Hag's permanent successor. Now, former Netherlands striker Van Nistelrooy has revealed how "hurt" the ex-Ajax boss was over his dismissal.

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  WHAT RUUD VAN NISTELROOY SAID

  He told reporters: "Yes I saw him [Ten Hag] on Monday and spoke to him before the game. He was disappointed and touched because he really cared for the club. The first conversations we had when I came back to the club, I felt he cared and loved the club and wanted to bring the club forward. That’s why he’s also hurt that he had to leave but also proud of his achievement here winning the two cups."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Ten Hag did win a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup during his time at United, they have, arguably, regressed – despite spending more than half a billion on players over the past two-and-a-half years. Van Nistelrooy – who joined Ten Hag's coaching staff this summer – has been tasked with getting United back on the right track over the next few weeks, with Amorim potentially taking over the reins in mid-November.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After leading United to a 5-2 Carabao Cup win over Leicester City on Wednesday, Van Nistelrooy will hope to make it two wins from two when they host Chelsea at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.

With the wounds of being beaten to the Scottish Premiership title by rivals Celtic just about healed, Rangers now look to have another chance to change up their squad with a European side boasting a serious interest in an unwanted Gers attacker.

Slew of stars set to depart Ibrox this summer

Whilst Rangers will no doubt look to use the transfer window to improve Philippe Clement's side even further after their early flurry of additions, there also appears to be a number of players set to depart Ibrox this summer in something of a mini squad overhaul.

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The most recent name linked with a move away from Glasgow is Connor Goldson. The 31-year-old central defender is linked with a shock move to League One outfit Birmingham City. After appearing in every game of 2021's title winning season, the defender has seemingly fallen out of favour at Ibrox.

Joining Goldson as a likely departure this summer is James Tavernier who has reportedly agreed to leave Rangers and join former boss Steven Gerrard at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. The Rangers captain has been one of the club's standout players in recent years and will certainly be missed by the Gers faithful.

With further outgoings expected this summer, it appears that a club has ramped up their interest in a Rangers player after moving on one of their own.

European club have serious interest in Rangers striker

As first reported by Sport Witness, the Dutch press are claiming that AZ Alkmaar have serious interested in a move for Rangers striker Sam Lammers. The 27-year-old spent the latter half of last season on loan at fellow Dutch club FC Utrecht after struggling for form during his time at Ibrox.

Lammers first came to Glasgow in a move from Serie A side Atalanta back in the summer of 2023. Since arriving at Rangers, the striker has struggled, scoring just twice in 31 appearances for the Ibrox outfit.

Since moving back to his homeland, Lammers has managed to turn his career around. The striker contributed 10 goals and 3 assists across the 18 Eredivise games he played while out on loan last season.

The report by Sport Witness states that Utrecht made contact about a deal for Lammers as early as last month, but the Dutch outfit struggled to agree a price with Rangers, who are demanding a hefty fee. Whilst it is reported that Rangers are demanding a big fee, Alkmaar could now swoop in and match Rangers' fee after selling a striker of their own.

Early last month saw AZ Alkmaar say goodbye to Vangelis Pavlidis, who departed the Netherlands in a £15million move to Portuguese giants Benfica. Pavlidis finished as the Eredivise's joint top scorer last season with both himself and PSV's Luuk de Jong finding the back of the net on 29 occasions.

Despite Utrecht boss Ron Jans stating that they will "do everything we can" to bring Lammers back to the club, it now appears that Alkmaar's newfound financial muscle will put them in pole position to sign the Rangers man this summer.

Unai Emery is using Aston Villa’s Champions League stature in a bid to lure high-quality players to the Midlands this summer.

Conor Gallagher has been linked perennially, while Everton midfielder Amadou Onana has been targeted recently, as both players look to play in Europe’s premier club competition.

There has been a recent update on a player who Emery is targeting, and he has had plenty of experience in the Champions League over the previous few seasons for both Manchester City and Barcelona…

Aston Villa in race to sign Barcelona forward

According to a report from the Sunday Express (page 66) – via Sports View – Emery is keen on bringing current Barcelona star Ferran Torres to the Midlands this summer.

Competition is expected to come from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and West Ham United, but Villa have one thing those teams do not – Champions League football to look forward to next term.

This could be a major incentive for the Spaniard, who featured for his nation during their 3-0 win over Croatia at Euro 2024, and he may well be joining a new club once the tournament is over.

It is claimed that a transfer fee of around £30m should be enough to tempt the Catalan giants into selling, especially as they are looking to seal a permanent deal to sign João Cancelo from Man City.

Spaniards who have made an appearance for Aston Villa

Player

Year joined

Games

Pau Torres

2023

39

Alex Moreno

2023

48

Jota Peleteiro

2019

16

Pepe Reina

2020

12

Borja Baston

2020

2

Adama Traore

2015

12

Jose Crespo

2015

2

Carlos Gil

2015

34

Antonio Luna

2013

18

Carlos Cuellar

2008

121

Via Transfermarkt

No stranger to the Premier League, Torres could add that extra bit of quality Emery is seeking ahead of the 2024/25 season, which could make all the difference in Europe.

Ferran Torres’ season in numbers

It is hard to believe that Torres is still only 24. The winger has won two Premier League titles, a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey during his career, yet it feels as though he has been around far longer than just the previous six or so campaigns.

The 2023/24 season was his most productive in front of goal since he made his senior bow for Valencia during 2017/18. Not only did he score 11 times for Barcelona across all competitions, but the winger grabbed four assists, yet the club finished the season without a major trophy to show for it.

Among his teammates, Torres ranked sixth for goals and assists (nine) in the top flight last season, while also ranking sixth for shots on target per game (0.5), ninth for key passes per game (0.9) and fourth for scoring frequency (a goal every 173 minutes), solid if unspectacular.

It was a different story in the Champions League, however, as Torres ranked in the top three for goals and assists (four) and scoring frequency (a goal every 125 minutes), clearly demonstrating his talents on the biggest stage of all.

The Spaniard could thrive in this Villa team under Emery, potentiall making Ollie Watkins better than he was throughout last season.

How Ferran Torres could benefit Ollie Watkins

Last season, Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey tended to be Emery’s two options on the right wing. The duo scored 24 goals and grabbed 23 assists between them across all competitions.

This success on the right flank was not matched by players on the opposite wing. The likes of Nicolo Zaniolo, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey operated there during the season, but it wasn’t until Morgan Rogers arrived in January that Emery had a natural left-winger available.

Torres can play across the front three with ease, which means he would be an ideal option for the manager on the left wing, registering 27 goal contributions from that position in his career to date.

According to WhoScored, Torres’ main strengths are finishing, crossing and key passes, which suggests he could create a plethora of chances for Watkins to slot away next season.

The Englishman found the back of the net on 27 occasions for Villa last season, emerging as one of the finest forwards in the Premier League in the process.

Emery could perhaps unlock that extra 10% from the former Brentford hitman by signing a player such as Torres, who could use his ability to cut inside wonderfully to provide Watkins with chances to score.

Combining this with the likes of Diaby and Bailey getting in on the act again, it's clear that someone of his quality could be an excellent investment, especially with his previous experience in the English top flight.

Ferran Torres’ statistics in the Premier League

The left-winger joined City from Valencia in the summer of 2020 for a fee in the region of £20.8m, yet his spell in Manchester failed to really hit the heights that were predicted of the youngster upon his arrival.

Overall, Torres scored 16 goals and registered four assists in 43 games under Pep Guardiola, which isn’t to be sniffed at, but it was clear that if a big money offer arrived, City were going to take it.

Nine of these goals came in the Premier League, and he was predominately deployed as a centre-forward, showing his positional versatility, yet Emery would clearly find a space for him on the left wing.

After his first season at City, Torres was hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who said: “Prolific goalscorer already at the youth level. Very good finishing skills, movement, and instinct.”

If Emery is looking for someone who has knowledge of the league, is performing at the highest level and can play in a multitude of positions, then Torres is his man.

He may have to sell a player or two first before making a move for the 24-year-old in order to remain within financial fair play regulations, but it looks as though Douglas Luiz is on his way out of Villa, closing in on a move to Juventus.

This could give the club funds to complete a deal for Torres in the coming weeks, although much will depend on how well he performs at the Euros for Spain.

This summer could be the most important in the club’s recent history. If they can sign genuine quality and improve, there is no reason why they cannot replicate what they did last term, especially under the guidance of a wily Spaniard.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jun 6, 2024